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The Truth About Cars is dedicated to providing candid, unbiased automobile reviews and the latest in auto industry news.Thu, 12 Feb 2015 12:45:08 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.1The Truth About Cars is dedicated to providing candid, unbiased automobile reviews and the latest in auto industry news.The Truth About CarsnoThe Truth About Carseditors@ttac.comeditors@ttac.com (The Truth About Cars)2006-2009The Truth About CarsThe Truth About Cars is dedicated to providing candid, unbiased automobile reviews and the latest in auto industry news.The Truth About Cars » hyundai genesis coupehttp://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/themes/ttac-theme/images/logo.gifhttp://www.thetruthaboutcars.com
Review: 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spechttp://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/09/review-2013-hyundai-genesis-coupe-2-0t-r-spec/
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/09/review-2013-hyundai-genesis-coupe-2-0t-r-spec/#commentsFri, 14 Sep 2012 15:59:15 +0000http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/?p=460366What’s a Mustang? We know, but it’s not an easy question to answer. A Mustang is…a Mustang. It’s so thoroughly itself that there’s no need to define it as a variant of someone else’s car. All truly great cars are like this. Competitors might meet and even beat them in this or that regard, but […]

What’s a Mustang? We know, but it’s not an easy question to answer. A Mustang is…a Mustang. It’s so thoroughly itself that there’s no need to define it as a variant of someone else’s car. All truly great cars are like this. Competitors might meet and even beat them in this or that regard, but until they develop identities of their own they’ll never possess the same allure. The Europeans practically have such cars in their DNA. The Americans and Japanese have stumbled over the goal line from time to time. The Koreans…well, the Koreans are still new. So what’s a Genesis Coupe?

At launch, the styling of the Genesis in both coupe and sedan forms betrayed the parent company’s lack of confidence and direction. Both cars were styled much like someone else’s car, a Lexus (itself still styled a late-model Mercedes) in the case of the sedan and an Infiniti in the case of the coupe. Neither car’s face projected a clear, distinctive identity or a connection with the parent company. With its 2013 refresh, the Genesis Coupe takes a step in this direction. The new face isn’t to everyone’s liking. But, dramatically styled around an oversized hexagonal grille, it’s bold, cohesive, like those on other new Hyundais, and not like anyone else’s. The Korean company clearly feels more confident. It’s now comfortable with people identifying the Genesis Coupe as a Hyundai.

Yet it remains unclear what the Genesis Coupe wants to be when it grows up. Many reviews compare the car to a Mustang or a Camaro. But the Gen Coupe doesn’t look like a pony, sit like a pony, walk like a pony, or talk like a pony. It’s not a pony. Aside from the new face, the car most resembles a G37 Coupe. Which is…what? Well, the Infiniti is itself a reflection of someone else’s car, specifically a BMW 3-Series, with more reliable bits (the first generation’s engine might burn oil and its suspension might chew tires, but its electronics are solid!) and a lower price. With the BMW ever deeper into its own identity crisis—driver’s car, or luxury car, or technophile’s wet dream?—the entire class could well be losing its center.

When considering which aspect of the G37 / 3-Series to pursue, Hyundai clearly didn’t decide on gadgetry. There’s Bluetooth and iPod integration, and Hyundai’s new telematics system with the top trim level, but nothing approaching the pervasive technological overkill of recent BMWs or the nanny infestation of recent Infinitis. You don’t need to RTFM to figure out how to operate the car. Perhaps Hyundai focused more on the 3-Series that used to be. If so, not a bad move. More likely, though, the Koreans were pursuing a much lower price point and a BMW-class armada of microprocessors wasn’t budget compliant.

Top trim Genesis Coupes are somewhat luxurious. But even with substantial upgrades for 2013 the interior remains well short of the Infiniti G37’s, itself no match for the BMW’s (until it’s next redesigned). The Hyundai’s interior is nice…considering the price. Even at the Hyundai’s price a power driver seat recliner (standard on a mid-level VW Jetta) might be expected, but remains notable in its absence. Opt for the performance-oriented R-Spec, and the seat adjustments are entirely manual. The seat itself is neither as substantial nor as cushy as that in a G37. One must conclude that, despite the premium aspirations of the Genesis sub-brand, the Genesis Coupe isn’t about luxury.

Despite sharing a name, the coupe has little in common with the sedan. The two cars don’t look alike, they don’t drive alike, they’re not contented alike, and they’re not priced alike. Why, then, do they share a name? When two dissimilar cars share a name, at least one will lack an identity among the broader public.

By process of elimination, the Genesis Coupe must be about the driving experience, the thing that originally made BMWs desirable. In some ways the Genesis Coupe comes closer to the 3-Series than the Infiniti intermediary. This is partly good, partly bad. The Genesis Coupe feels more composed and less tricky to drive than the G37. Especially with the R-Spec’s limited-slip differential, the Hyundai’s rear end can be provoked to rotate by your right foot, but it won’t deal out nasty surprises the way the Infiniti’s will. But, partly by the same token, the Hyundai doesn’t feel as direct or as visceral as the Infiniti. Driving the G37 is more of an experience. Like a BMW, the Genesis Coupe only begins to come alive when pushed, and feels better the harder it is pushed. Hyundai’s engineers have made much progress on this front. The Genesis Coupe won’t embarrass itself at the track, but due to the heavy, uncommunicative steering, the car never stops feeling larger and heavier than it is (182.3×73.4×54.5 inches, 3,492 lbs.) and than either target. While fun to drive along a winding road, it still seems less fun than it ought to be, as if Hyundai couldn’t quite commit to a sporty direction (or didn’t fully comprehend what fun feels like).

BMWs aren’t as visceral as they used to be largely due to the company’s pursuit of day-to-day livability. Premium aspirations aside, the same conflict doesn’t seem to have bedeviled Hyundai, judging from the Genesis Coupe’s behavior when it’s not being pushed. Though body motions are well controlled, the ride that felt okay during a preview drive sometimes proved irritatingly busy in daily life (if rarely harsh). The 274-horsepower turbocharged four that seemed to best suit the car earlier has a lumpy, “surge-and-lag” delivery through its midrange at part throttle. Far more than BMW’s new, less-powerful-on-paper 2.0T, this one’s clearly boosted. The vague, somewhat clunky manual shifter further impedes smooth shifts. Add it all up, and the level of concentration required to drive the Genesis Coupe smoothly takes the casual out of casual driving. Not so much that I’d call the Hyundai a bad car, not even close. There’s just not enough payoff of the daily deficit when you are able to really drive the car. It has fallen between the proverbial stools.

But the Genesis Coupe’s price can’t be ignored. It might not be all that special in itself. But a stylish coupe that warrants comparison with a BMW 3-Series yet lists for $27,375 with all available performance hardware, that’s special. With a manual transmission, Infiniti’s “3er for less” lists for nearly $18,000 more. In stark comparison to Hyundai, Infiniti requires a Premium Package to get the Sport Package and nav as well to get the stick. You end up with over $7,000 more “stuff” (as calculated by TrueDelta’s car price comparison tool), but this still leaves the Hyundai with a feature-adjusted price advantage of over $10,000. And maybe you don’t want the stuff.

The thing is, selling on price is exactly the position Hyundai has been striving to escape, and with more than a little success in other, paradoxically less pricey segments. If they’re to do the same with the not-quite-premium Genesis Coupe, they’ve got to decide what the car is really about. If it’s about luxury, it needs more content, better materials, and more refinement. If it’s about driving, it needs sprightlier moves, more direct communication, and, again, more refinement. If it tries to be both, but at an affordable price, it’ll end up where it is.

With either direction, to really come into its own the Genesis Coupe needs to capture the special magic that elevates iconic cars above the rest. It’s not possible to specify what the car’s character should be, except that it can’t be derived from somebody else’s. It needs to be something new, yet this newness can’t be forced. It can only come from someone who thoroughly and deeply understands what he or she wants, who wants a car that no one else is providing, and who can inspire the organization to create it. We’ll know it if and when we see it.

The cars discussed were provided by their respective manufacturers with insurance and a tank of gas.

]]>http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/09/review-2013-hyundai-genesis-coupe-2-0t-r-spec/feed/72TTAC Track Days Episode 2: Scion FR-S vs. Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T vs. Mazda MX-5http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/08/ttac-track-days-episode-2-scion-fr-s-vs-hyundai-genesis-coupe-2-0t-vs-mazda-mx-5/
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/08/ttac-track-days-episode-2-scion-fr-s-vs-hyundai-genesis-coupe-2-0t-vs-mazda-mx-5/#commentsTue, 07 Aug 2012 15:15:14 +0000http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/?p=455618In our second installment, we take the Scion FR-S to the track, along with the heavier, but more powerful Hyundai Genesis 2.0T and its spiritual antecedent, the Mazda MX-5. Oh, and there are special guests from Japan and America.

In our second installment, we take the Scion FR-S to the track, along with the heavier, but more powerful Hyundai Genesis 2.0T and its spiritual antecedent, the Mazda MX-5. Oh, and there are special guests from Japan and America.

]]>http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/08/ttac-track-days-episode-2-scion-fr-s-vs-hyundai-genesis-coupe-2-0t-vs-mazda-mx-5/feed/143TTAC Track Days With Jack Baruth Episode 1: Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Trackhttp://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/06/ttac-track-days-with-jack-baruth-episode-1-hyundai-genesis-coupe-3-8-track/
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/06/ttac-track-days-with-jack-baruth-episode-1-hyundai-genesis-coupe-3-8-track/#commentsTue, 05 Jun 2012 14:13:45 +0000http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/?p=447499Finally, our long-promised video series makes its debut, with our very own Jack Baruth at the helm, doing what he does best; bullying PR people into paying his obscene room service bill putting today’s sports cars to the test on a closed circuit. For our first episode, we took a Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track […]

Finally, our long-promised video series makes its debut, with our very own Jack Baruth at the helm, doing what he does best; bullying PR people into paying his obscene room service bill putting today’s sports cars to the test on a closed circuit.

For our first episode, we took a Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track model to Toronto Motorsports Park, as well as a certain vehicle from “Brand P” to use as a baseline. While we were there, we ran in to a few “exotic” machines that cost far more than our humble Hyundai, but didn’t exactly perform any better.

We’re hoping to do further installments of the series. For now, enjoy Jack and his questionable wardrobe choices.

Thanks to Hyundai Canada for providing the car (which is known as a 3.8GT in the Great White North), and Chris Blanchette for his amazing video production.

]]>http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/06/ttac-track-days-with-jack-baruth-episode-1-hyundai-genesis-coupe-3-8-track/feed/86Announcing Our New Video Series: TTAC Track Days With Jack Baruthhttp://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/05/announcing-our-new-video-series-ttac-track-days-with-jack-baruth/
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/05/announcing-our-new-video-series-ttac-track-days-with-jack-baruth/#commentsMon, 28 May 2012 13:00:25 +0000http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/?p=446376Tomorrow will kick off the start of our new video series; TTAC Track Days with Jack Baruth. Our first vehicle will be a Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track model. Now that TTAC has access to a top-notch video crew (thanks to our parent company, VerticalScope) we’ve decided to take advantage of our relationship with a […]

Tomorrow will kick off the start of our new video series; TTAC Track Days with Jack Baruth. Our first vehicle will be a Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track model.

Now that TTAC has access to a top-notch video crew (thanks to our parent company, VerticalScope) we’ve decided to take advantage of our relationship with a local track day organizer, and Toronto Motorsports Park. TMP is used to accommodating video crews, and Jack’s proximity to Toronto, combined with his experience on track made it a no-brainer.

Myself, Jack and the video crew will be out today filming the car. You can check our Facebook page for live shots, but you may have to sit tight for the actual video. If everyone makes it out alive, we’ll be doing lots more.

“If you want a Veloster Turbo,” quipped Hyundai CEO John Krafcik, at September’s launch of Hyundai’s oddball, front-drive Veloster hatchback, “you can buy one right now. It’s called the Genesis Coupe.” The Veloster Turbo ended up materializing at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show – and so did a new Genesis Coupe. Apparently, Hyundai never planned on making a Veloster Turbo until after the car’s launch. But they did plan on a refreshed Genesis Coupe, and a brawnier Veloster means that the Genesis gets to move up in power and price.

Gone are the Coupe’s sleek, almost generic lines up front, replaced by an aggressive, open-mouth design that looks like, you guessed it, the Veloster. Unfortunately, the Genesis Coupe also gets clear “Altezza” tail lights. Initial photographs elicited a groan from myself and others, who liked the “grown up” styling of the Genesis Coupe, but in the flesh, the new look works quite well, adding some character to a car that many criticized as looking derivative.

Substantial powertrain upgrades should delight anyone with a pulse. The formerly wimpy turbocharged 4-cylinder engine gets a boost from 210 horsepower and 223 lb-ft to 274 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque while the 3.8L V6 is up to 348 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque from 306 horsepower and 266 lb-ft. The two powerplants can run on regular or premium gas, but 87 octane will take the power down to 260 horsepower and 260 lb-ft for the 2.0T . For the V6, 87 octane will result in outputs of 344 horsepower and 292 lb-ft. Hyundai also claims that fuel economy is up for the 2.0T, 20/31 mpg for the auto and 21/30 mpg for the manual. The V6 rates 18/28 mpg for the auto and 18/27 mpg for the manual).

As a charter member of the Normally Aspirated Snobs Club, I was taken aback with how lovely the revised turbo 4-banger is. The 2.0T is still not that quick, but it now has enough power to be satisfying, and the boost comes on in a very linear, lag-free fashion, with peak torque generated at 2000 rpm. On the other hand, the V6 engine, which delivers lots of quantitative performance but little in the way of qualitative excellence. There’s nothing wrong with the engine per se; it delivers lots of power at a moment’s notice, but wringing out the 2.0T engine proved to be more fun on the street, while the 3.8 was perhaps better suited to the 1.5 mile road course, if only because it allowed for fewer shifts on the tight, technical circuit.

The drive to the Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch was conducted in a 3.8L V6 Track model with an 8-speed automatic transmission – the heaviest car in the lineup. The 3,600 lb car “didn’t feel like it had 348 horsepower” according to my co-driver, and while it wasn’t slow by any means, the Genesis Coupe felt like it could have benefited from lap-band surgery. Even the lightest Genesis Coupe, a base model 2.0T, weighs 3,362 lbs, a not insignificant figure for a small sports coupe. The porky package is an inevitable consequence of sharing a platform with a large luxury sedan, but with the 2800 lb Scion FR-S around the corner, a whole new generation of drivers are about to feel what lightweight sports cars are all about.

The 8-speed auto worked well, with crisp quick shifts when using the paddle shifters and a pleasant, seamless feel in normal situations. We also got to try out the 6-speed manual gearbox in both the 2.0T (on the street) and the 3.8 R-Spec (on the track). The stick shift feels similar to other Hyundai models, with a vague shifter and a too-soft clutch that feels as if there’s a leak in the hydraulic lines. Hyundai managed to get so much right with the driving dynamics of this car, yet their treatment of the car’s manual gearbox stands as a glaring oversight for an otherwise competent performance car.

The test route’s marble-smooth roads gave little opportunity to evaluate the Genesis Coupe’s ride quality. One gremlin that was immediately evident was wind noise. At 80 mph, it became excessive, with most of it seeping in through the A-pillar. The interior, while better than before, is still largely composed of hard plastics that aren’t the most impressive in the business (though competitors like the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang are hardly any more impressive). An addition for 2013 is a series of three gauges in the center stack that displays fuel consumption, torque, boost (on the 2.0T) and oil temperature – the gauges may look cool initially, but the novelty wears off fast.

While there were roughly 8 cars available to drive on the road course, only one was a 2.0T Despite sampling both trim levels, I felt little difference between the “Track” and “R-Spec” models. Both models get bigger sway bars, 4-piston Brembo Brakes (13.4″ rotors up front, 13″ in the rear), adjustable camber bolts (that can be installed by the owner, and allow as much as 1.5 degrees of negative camber), and get 19” wheels. The Track Package comes with a higher grade of standard equipment and a spoiler on 3.8 models. The R-Spec, which I spent most of my time in, is more Spartan. I decided to go out with an instructor riding shotgun- even after a year of karting and a year of ice racing (with podiums in both series) my driving needs work. The stakes are higher when driving a brand new $28,750 3.8 R-Spec versus a 125 cc TAG kart, or a $500 BMW E30.

What makes the Genesis Coupe such a rewarding track car are the little details – the important kind that won’t impress anybody on web forums but will make your track experience more enjoyable. The seats are comfortable, and allow you to get a perfect driving position, with your elbows bent and your hands at 9 and 3, without sacrificing any visibility or comfort. The pedals allowed for flawless heel-toe downshifts even with my size 12 feet. The steering is heavy, well-weighted and provides ample feedback while the brakes (even the standard ones on the R-Spec) resisted fade and provided a consistent pedal feel. I kept the stability control on during the session, but could still use the throttle to adjust the direction of the car; not in a heroic, tail out fashion, but enough that it would make my times faster were anyone timing me. Despite the noticeable heft, body roll is well controlled and the car’s not insignificant curb weights become a secondary concern on the track. The 3.8L had plenty of useable power on the tight circuit, but the 2.0T did require more shifting to stay in the power band. The Genesis Coupe seems like it would make a great learning tool for anyone interested in seriously honing their driving skills, rather than just a toy for those who want to brand themselves as a car enthusiast to their Facebook friends.

To make room in the pricing structure for the Veloster Turbo the Genesis Coupe gets a price bump of about $2,000. The base car is now $24,250, with an 8-speed automatic costing an extra $1,250. A 2.0T R-Spec will run $26,500, while a 3.8 R-Spec will set you back $28,750. An automatic 3.8 R-Spec rises to $32,000, with a loaded track model retailing for $34,250. The price may have gone up, but the Genesis continues to slot between the Mustang/Camaro V6 on the low end, and the Nissan 370Z on the high end. It’s difficult to imagine many buyers cross-shopping the Pony cars with their import competition, as the two flavors are as distinct as chocolate and vanilla.

Making direct comparisons between the revised Genesis Coupe and the competition would also be difficult. Press trips like these give us an early look at new vehicles, but under carefully choreographed circumstances. This event, from the long, straight stretches of highway to the specially designed track sessions provided gratis tell us what Hyundai wants us to know about the car, and nothing more. In that context, the Genesis Coupe seems promising. Compared to a Camaro or Mustang V6, the driving dynamics seem more engaging (and feel more at home for someone like myself, who grew up with imports rather than muscle cars) and the whole package is attractive and affordable enough for the everyman. But I’d prefer to reserve final judgment until I can drive the Genesis Coupe in an environment full of potholes, traffic jams and real world fuel economy observations – the kind of driving that we all face once the afterglow of a track day has faded.